Cultural Study of India

The past month now I have made one of my first deep dives into Indian culture and history. It's a culture that has always fascinated me, being one of the most populated nations in the world at 1.4 billion people. I think the inspiration hit me a couple months ago after watching the epic Bollywood film, RRR. I've had countless phases and studies regarding Western European/American history, but know so little about the eastern hemisphere of Asia. I try to be a student of all world culture, not just the Christianized west and therefore find this new appreciation into India culture to be very eye-opening. 

When I think of India some of the first thoughts that come to mind are the great food. As a teenager I  always loved going to the Indian Buffet with my mom. It was such an exotic experience with the paintings on the wall, the music, and the foreign tasting food and spices. I came to enjoy it all the more in my adulthood and have recently decided the Tikki Masala is my favorite Indian dish and even tried to make it a few times. I hope to further incorporate more Indian food into my routine, and would say it's right up there with some of my favorite food now.  

As I mentioned in my post regarding the history of India, my earliest associations with the Indian people came as a kid at our school parish. For most my time at St. Johns New Haven the pastor was the most friendly Indian person, Father Derrick. He was such a genuine person and by far one of the happiest and funniest priests I have ever known. I think we had a special relation since he was my dad's boss, and would often come over for dinner. I also was a frequent altar boy during my junior high years and spent a lot of time working with him. I remember he would treat the altar boys to breakfast and he introduced me to wonders of hot sauce. I was very sad when he left during our 8th grade year, but it was thanks to him that I truly embraced the Catholic faith. 

I made numerous Indian friends throughout college and my adult life such as Vidisha. I found them to usually be quite smart but also fun at parties. I later came to know them at work over the years, notably my current IT co-worker Gurnam. I ultimately find them to be a very friendly and humble people and yet another reason I enjoy their culture. Their history is not one of military conquest yet certainly one of spiritual enlightenment. There is no society that has contributed more world religions that that of India. They also have incredible architecture, with the Taj Mahal being a true marvel. It is one of my top ten favorite world wonders. To be honest India was not on my bucket list to travel, that is until recently. 

Religion of India

I think the best place to begin with a study of India's culture is with their many religions. There are actual quite a significant amount of Indian Christians, such as Fr. Derrick, and even Indian Muslims, but that's not there true trademark. India created four major religions; Hinduism, Buddhism, Janism, and Sikkism that today are some of the most popular religions after Christianity and Islam. Each of these religions incorporate the ideal of "dharma" which is a spiritual journey of the inner-self. Similar to prayer, this practice is performed thru meditation where finding inner peace thru spiritual awakening is the common goal. 

Perhaps the earliest of these religions was Hinduism, first documented in the Vedas Texts in 3000 BC. However many believe the practice was in place thousands of years before and was only officially documented at that point. Similar to Greek or Norse mythology there are many Hindu Gods such Brahma the creator, Vishnu the Perserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. But unlike those mythologies this is more so about recognizing the inner self's journey rather than praising a deity. Hindu's practice various forms of spiritual enrichment thru meditation, yoga, worship, rituals, festivals, and pilgrimages. The goal of all Hindus is to acheive this spiritual enlightenment known as moksha, also known as nirvana. 

Buddhism is a much more recent branch of Hinduism that emerged in the fifth century BC. Just as the prophet Jesus Christ introduced new teachings that broke away from the ancient Jewish customs, so did Siddhartha Guatama. Later known as "the Budda" he enhanced this Hindu notion of dharma thru a structured path known as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The essence being that in order to overcome suffering one must overcome desire. This is not achieved by praying to a deity yet rather by meditating and living in the present moment. Some could make the case that this is more so a philosophy since there is no major deity, but the Buddha himself has become the centralized force of the practice. 

Around the same time Budda introduced new spiritual practices to the Indian people so did the 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers) that established the Janism philosophy. They incorporated similar teachings of non-violence, non-absolutism (that not everything can be understood), and ascetism (letting go of possessions and indulging pleasures). Perhaps one of the most recent world religions is Sikhism founded in the late 1400s by the Guru Nanak. Unlike Hinduism or Buddhism, this practice brings attention to a singular God who dwells within all creation. In order to find union with this God, one must seek and carry out his will.       

Architecture of India

The Taj Mahal is without question the iconic landmark of the country of India and also one of my favorite modern monuments behind the Eiffel Tower. Built in the 1600s during the Mughal Empire, this monument was originally built as a mausoleum by the emperor for his family. It has sense become a world heritage site, bringing visitors from all over the world to marvel at it's architectural wonder. With it's massive white marble domes and tall standing towers, it's symmetry is true perfection and aestheticism. Standing tall in front of a garden and fountain pool, it truly looks like something out of a romantic fantasy story. 

But long before the Taj Mahal was constructed, India had already made it's mark with hundreds of other architectual marvels. As far back as the Great Stuppa of Sanchi commissioned in the 3rd century BC by Ashoka the Great. Or the massive Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya (built in the 232 BC) where the great Buddha achieved his enlightenment. The religious site also contains the iconic massive statue of the Buddha himself erected in 1982. India has many ancient Hindu temples often built as a pyramid with a spire with intricate sculpting. There are also many impressive underground temples such as the Ellora Caves. The Hindu Meenakshi Temple is arguably one of the most intricate designs, built in 1190 AD. The complex has 14 colorful towers known as Gopurams with incredible sculpting detail. The Ranganathaswamy Temple is the largest gopuram in the world standing at 240 feet of incredible detail.

Another monumental site in India is the Qutb Minar, built in 1220 AD during the Dehli Sultante of Islam influence. Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, the architecture presents a more middle eastern style. Upon it's completion it stood as the tallest minaret in the world (and still remains the tallest made of bricks). Other iconic marvels include the Golden Temple, built in 1604 as the sacred center of Sikhism. The Hawa Mahal built in 1799 with it's iconic red sandstone built by the Rajasthan people. Some modern marvels include the Lotus Temple, built in 1986 in Delhi as the center of Baha'i. And the Statue of Unity, built in 2018 in depicts one of the Indian Independence leaders Vallabhbhai Patel. It currently stands as the tallest statue in the world at an impressive 597 feet.     

Music and Dance in India

India has a very definitive musical style that embodies their spiritual, colorful, and even exotic culture. Some of the defining instruments are it's hypnotic sitar and the bansuri flute. Some of these sounds are downright ambient and therapeutic, no doubt incorporating India's desire for inner peace. There is also a very rhythmic component to India music that demonstrates their more free-spirited nature. I've also noted in their more modern music a rather high pitched and enhanced vocal quality. Perhaps one of the most famous all time musicians from India was Ravi Shankar, the master sitarist who influenced the Beatles during the 1960s. 

The people of India are a very expressive one, and this is demonstrated thru their colorful wardrobe yet even more so their music and dance. According to ancient Hindu religion there really is no better way to express oneself then thru dance. Whether that be an artistic meditative interpretation, a celebration of folk tradition, or even a festive display of jubilation. I've watched many Indian Bollywood films now and I am simply in awe of how much music there is in all their films. Whether it is a comedy, romance, or intense historical drama there is so much music in these films, and it's usually quite catchy melodies. 

Cuisine of India

Another defining part of India's culture is their flavorful cuisine that seems to be growing more and more popular these days. I would argue that Indian restaurants are probably the fourth most popular foreign food in America, behind Chinese, Mexican, and Italian (maybe close with Thai food). It's too bad you're seeing less and less buffets these days, but that doesn't seem to be affecting their business whatsoever. The food has a very original and distinctive flavor of spices, tomatoes, cream, rice, and meats. 

They have their distinctive Basmati Rice, Naan Bread, and many various forms of curry dishes. Popular appetizers include the samosas, while some of the most popular dishes are the tikki masala, the tandoori chicken, and the biryani. Some of their distinctive deserts are their rice pudding known as kheer and my mom's favorite the gulab jamun. India is one of the biggest producers of tea in the world and is by far the most common drink. Coffee is also popular while alcoholic drinks are not. 

Movies about India

India has a very booming movie market known as Bollywood that has become a staple of their culture. In 2019 it ranked third in box office revenue and has the most annual movie productions than any other country. They released in impressive 2446 feature films in 2019 compared to the United States' 792. Most Indian films today, no matter the genre, have multiple musical sequences of song and dance throughout the movie. Here is a list of iconic movies about India, produced by America and India.

• 
  Gandhi (1982): Directed by Richard Attenbourough, this epic biopic depicts the life of Indian Independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Starring Ben Kingsley as Gandhi it portrays his time studying in Britain and later returning to his home land of India to lead his people against the political injustice brought on by the British Raj. I remember first watching this film in high school. It went on to receive 11 Academy Award nominations and won 8 including best picture, best director, and best lead actor.
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): This British film directed by Danny Boyle cleaned up on Academy awards including best picture and best director. It was a very popular underdog story about a poor kid from the slums of India who by some miracle won a million dollars from a trivia game show. Meanwhile he also fought against the street gangs of India to win the hand of the girl he loved. It was a true romantic feel good movie.
• Life of Pi (2012): Based off the popular book by Yann Martel, this film adaptation directed by Ang Lee was also a major success at the academy awards. It demonstrated a philosophical and spiritual journey of a young boy as he survived a boat crash with a Bengal tiger. The film had incredible special effects, notable the interaction with the Bengal tiger, yet also a nice ambient soundtrack.  
• RRR (2022): This epic action drama became the most expensive film ever produced by India. It also won two Academy awards for best foreign film and best song. The movie is a fictional account of two Independent revolutionaries against the British Raj. It depicts far fetched fight and dance sequences that are incredibly visually stimulating. The special effects and choreography are truly worth the experience. Although it was a drawn out 3 hour 20 minutes this film inspired my recent Indian appreciation phase. 
  
  
• A Passage to India (1984) This historical epic directed by David Lean is the adaptation of E.M Forester's classic novel. It went on to receive an impressive 11 Academy Award nominations and won 2 for best supporting actress Peggy Ashcroft and best musical score for Maurice Jarre. While I have recently finished the book, I have yet to watch this movie, but will soon.
• Kesari (2019) This historical epic portrays the Battle of Saragarhi which took place in 1897 where an Afghan tribal army of 10,000 attacked a British fortress defended by 21 Sikh soldiers. The Sikh soldiers made a heroic last stand to defend the fortress but eventually were all killed in the attack. The movie glorifies their courage, in very dramatic, bloody, and drawn-out fashion. The film has some great musical and combat sequences. 
• Lion (2016) Tells the true story of how a young boy in India was seperated from his parents and later adopted by an Australian family. As a young man the boy returns to India to find his parents. The film stars Dev Patel as the lead character and Nicole Kidman as his adopted mom. It received six oscar nominations and I remember it to be a heart warming story.